Xtras, Inc, one of
the longest running and largest distributor of
ActiveX and .NET tools for developers, announced
this week it's strategic partnership to distribute
programming tools from Think Technologies.
Begun in 1994 as a Visual Basic programming library,
VBxtras was listed at spot #123 on the 1999 Inc.
500 list of America's fastest-growing privately
held companies.
VBxtras publishes printed and electronic catalogs
for the .NET and VB programming communities, and
it's reviews of over 500 products help programmers
choose among the many options available.
Mr. Says Channavong,
Vendor Relations Manager for VBxtras, said, "Think
of us as the Wal-Mart of .NET products, where
you can find 8 different
varieties of what you need."
Referring to Think
Technologies, Channavong said, "I've
had a lot of people ask, 'Do you have this product?
So we asked Andrew Davies to submit his products
for review. We found them to be excellent, and
we know that Think Technologies' HTML Edit Control
will be very competitive against TX Text. It's
a lot less expensive and
has great features like a word processing interface
with support for images, links, and advanced HTML
source editing."
Xtras sells primarily
direct, but also has developed reseller channels.
Through extensive e-marketing
with newsletters and user forums, Xtras is well
known in the developer community. Google lists
Xtras.net in the number one slot for searches such
as "Resource Quality .NET Tools."
Andrew Davies,
a principal and Senior Software Architect for
Think Technologies, said, "I've
used VBxtras for years. Its site usability is off
the charts because they give a lot of background
information about the products they carry, and
they won't carry junk. So after buying from them
for so long, their representation of our products
is like coming full circle."
About
Xtras, Inc,
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Xtras, Inc. was founded by
|
Mike
Schinkel, who leads the company today. Its original
name was Vbxtras, the name of its catalog, but
the company name was later changed to Xtras to better reflect expansion into
other areas.
Xtras'
main websites include Xtras.com, VBxtras.com, and Xtras.net.
The former is the corporate site, with links to www.Vbxtras.com
and www.Xtras.net. VBxtras.com sells and markets ActiveX
and COM tools, which caters to the VB community. Xtras.net
caters to the .NET community, selling hundreds tools
for development of databases, user interfaces, graphics,
and file management, to name a few. Channavong said "Microsoft's
.NET initiative totally and forever changed the way developers
work." He expressed concern, however, that the uptake
of .NET products was not growing as fast as the initial
hype said it would. "But I do think it will eventually
become as big as Microsoft wants it to be," he said.
While Xtras avoids the "free
download" gimmicks so prevalent on the Net, a great
number of software packages on the site feature downloadable
demos. The demos allow developers to easily decide which
products best meet their needs.
Davies remarked, "The
Xtras team has proven themselves with over a decade of
service to the developer community. Their product descriptions
were written by developers who use and test the software,
and you can find prices on Xtra.net that you can't find
elsewhere." Xtras, Inc can be reached at
800-735-2093 or 404-609-9871. Web: www.xtras.com.
About Think Technologies
Think Technologies is a progressive software publisher with deep roots in custom
application development, including the .NET ecosystem. The 7 year-old firm
develops customized applications across many industries and has extensive
experience in developing business management systems for the education industry,
including Indian River Community College and the Enrollment Management Center.
Think Technologies is a leader in developing web management systems, including
web portals, e-commerce portals, order management systems, and content management
systems. Tel: 1-866-87THINK.
by Van Hutchinson |
